My Profile

@runningfromthelaw

Long Beach, CA Raving since 2015 Active 9 years, 8 months ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    AREC

  • Rave race:

    Long Beach Marathon

  • Race that's calling my name:

    Chicago

  • I run because:

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (7)

Race Distance Location Date Result
Sprint Los Alamitos, CA Feb 28, 2015 1:35:32
Marathon Los Angeles, CA Mar 15, 2015 5:27:20
Half Marathon Huntington Beach, CA Feb 1, 2015 2:14:55
10 Miler Dana Point, CA Oct 26, 2014 1:47:43
12K Blue Diamond, NV Nov 22, 2014 1:28:16
Quarter Marathon Los Angeles, CA 2013 1:07:15
10K Buena Park, CA Mar 8, 2015 56:27

Future Races (0)

Race Distance Location Date Paid

Past Races (19)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
10K Seal Beach, CA Mar 21, 2015 57:05
Marathon Los Angeles, CA Mar 15, 2015 5:27:20
10K Buena Park, CA Mar 8, 2015 56:27
Sprint Los Alamitos, CA Feb 28, 2015 1:35:32
Half Marathon Huntington Beach, CA Feb 1, 2015 2:14:55
10K Los Angeles, CA Jan 3, 2015 1:02:38
12K Blue Diamond, NV Nov 22, 2014 1:28:16
10 Miler Dana Point, CA Oct 26, 2014 1:47:43
Marathon Long Beach, CA Oct 12, 2014 5:55:08
Half Marathon Newport Beach, CA May 4, 2014 2:30:05
Marathon Los Angeles, CA Mar 9, 2014 6:42:17
Sprint Los Alamitos, CA Feb 22, 2014 1:36:57
Marathon Long Beach, CA Oct 13, 2013
10K Buena Park, CA 2013 1:03:18
Quarter Marathon Los Angeles, CA 2013 1:07:15
10K Los Alamitos, CA 2013 1:03:11
Half Marathon Ventura, CA 2013 2:16:40
10K Seal Beach, CA 2013 1:03:54
5K Newport Beach, CA 1996

My Raves

I missed out on the 2014 marathon due to wicked illness, and got a $95 shirt. This year, I ran the race, but I hated the shirt (sorry, that's the … MORE

I missed out on the 2014 marathon due to wicked illness, and got a $95 shirt. This year, I ran the race, but I hated the shirt (sorry, that’s the only thing I didn’t like about the race).

The expo is fine, and you can find parking on side streets off the PCH south of Main. Parking is a little trickier on race day, but I got there an hour early and had plenty of time to walk and get warmed up.

There were about 17-18,000 runners, and the weather was perfect for a nice run up and back the PCH overlooking the ocean. There’s a little jog into the Seapoint neighborhood that has a bit of an incline but otherwise this is a flat course. There’s a huge area at the end of the race to get whatever you need, and tents from racing clubs (AREC and others) for you to wind down. The vibe is really cool and if you’re a local, you have to run this race at least once.

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The race was on Saturday at 6 pm, and my running partner and I couldn't make the expo the day before, so we went up on the day of the … MORE

The race was on Saturday at 6 pm, and my running partner and I couldn’t make the expo the day before, so we went up on the day of the race. The expo was supposed to close at 4 pm, so we got there as it was winding down so we didn’t get to hang out there. I had originally signed up for the 1/2, and I got a cool long-sleeved pullover, but the zipper wasn’t properly centered, and I couldn’t get a proper replacement. Getting there around 3:15 pm means that we had to wait around for a couple of hours before the race, but it’s downtown LA, so there’s plenty to do. We ate and took some pics and joined up with the throng at the starting line.

There were corrals, and the staggered start time allowed for plenty of room as we ran through the streets. Running through downtown at night was fun, and going through the 4th St tunnel was my favorite part of the race.

There’s not much crowd support once you get past the first 1/4 mile. The run up through the hills in Elysian Park is taxing, and the 10K turn-around is just outside the Dodger Stadium parking lot entrance, and from there, it’s a downhill sprint which was a lot of fun. If nothing else, I’d recommend this race for the experience of running back into downtown at top speed.

The post-race had plenty of food and then we had to walk about eight blocks back near the starting line to our car. Good experience overall, and a chance to run downtown at night.

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My hometown marathon, and I love running it. The expo is one of the best that I've been to, and I bring bags to stock up on nutrition, swag and … MORE

My hometown marathon, and I love running it. The expo is one of the best that I’ve been to, and I bring bags to stock up on nutrition, swag and shoes. I wasn’t wild about the 2014 shirt, but the 2013 official shirt was very good.

Starting line is down by Shoreline and I’ll raise my pet peeve here (and it applies to other races as well): I can’t stand it when walkers are in the corrals ahead of runners….it makes for a lot of congestion and hassle; it happens at a lot of races and I’m not sure what the rush is for the walkers to get passed by hundreds or thousands or runners?

Anyway, you loop around over a bridge and through the edge of downtown by the 710 and then cut back down to the shore and pass the Queen Mary and take the beach trail down near Leeway and then double back onto Ocean, and that’s where the fun begins. Folks with donut holes, gummy bears, orange slices and all the other food groups are waiting to put a smile on your face.

You run through Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights and then into Marine Stadium, which is the halfway point of the race. From there, you go uphill and into Long Beach State and along a long stretch of Atherton St., with more saints offering treats. Run fast so you get your share! The last couple of miles take you back through the same neighborhoods and there’s a house on Nieto that has a stock of Otter Pops that help you deal with the hill past the middle school.

There’s a long stretch on Livingston and Ocean that’s crowded with supporters, and then a sprint down to the finish line and a good area with food and a cool medal. This is a fun race.

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Point to point race, so that's a bit of a hassle. Great scenery of the ocean early in the race, and then it's just a street race through OC up … MORE

Point to point race, so that’s a bit of a hassle. Great scenery of the ocean early in the race, and then it’s just a street race through OC up to the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. It’s a boring race, sorry. The post-race snacks were solid and there was plenty of chocolate milk, which I liked.

Also, a fellow runner livened things up through the run by blasting music as he worked through the crowd, giving encouragement to runners, and thanks and praise to spectators, which was awesome.

I ran it once and don’t need to run it again.

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25,000 runners at Dodger Stadium is awesome. 87 degree heat and a severe shortage of Gatorade was not. My heel gave out after 11 miles, so I had to walk … MORE

25,000 runners at Dodger Stadium is awesome. 87 degree heat and a severe shortage of Gatorade was not. My heel gave out after 11 miles, so I had to walk the last 15, and I was out on the course much longer than I had expected. Plan ahead to reserve your place on the pre-race shuttle, and if possible, have someone meet you at the finish line.

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The stretch from the corner of Nieto and Livingston, all the way down Livingston turning into Ocean, is a great, nearly flat straightaway. There are a ton of people cheering … MORE

The stretch from the corner of Nieto and Livingston, all the way down Livingston turning into Ocean, is a great, nearly flat straightaway. There are a ton of people cheering the runners along and plenty of aid stations (formal and informal!).

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You know how hard it is to find a race that has a kids' zone? As a single parent, it's not easy to find a babysitter to come over at … MORE

You know how hard it is to find a race that has a kids’ zone? As a single parent, it’s not easy to find a babysitter to come over at 6 am, so I try to take advantage when a race has a kids’ zone, and Seal Beach has the best.

There’s a kids’ race first, and they tear down to the ocean and are met by dozens of volunteers and steered into a kids’ zone overlooking the beach. They’ve got facepainting, games and plenty of supervision. The kids are wristbanded and pick-up is monitored. Extremely well-done!

I’ve done the race several times. The 5K stays west of the PCH and is a nice little cruise, and the 10K has a nice long incline past the base and up to Westminster Blvd and cuts down a bike/running trail and congestion isn’t an issue. The turn onto Ocean to get to the finish is a great 2/3 mile run with plenty of folks out cheering. The finish line area gets crowded, but there’s plenty of food and drink. I can’t recommend this race highly enough.

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Flat, easy course with a few narrow spots that cause congestion. The pie at the end of the race is a nice touch. The kids' run through the park is … MORE

Flat, easy course with a few narrow spots that cause congestion. The pie at the end of the race is a nice touch. The kids’ run through the park is fun and short. Overall, it’s a good excuse to eat a good meal of chicken and dumplings at the park restaurant.

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Thousands of people coming together to raise funds for cancer research. The race was through the Fashion Island section of NB, and there's an incline in the last mile but … MORE

Thousands of people coming together to raise funds for cancer research. The race was through the Fashion Island section of NB, and there’s an incline in the last mile but it’s a pretty basic course.

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